Barack Obama Calls Out Trump Administration For ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Suspension

Barack Obama is speaking out after it was announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended indefinitely. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the former U.S. president was critical of what he characterized as Donald Trump influencing recent moves by media conglomerates to silence voices like Kimmel.

“After years of complaining about cancel culture,” he wrote on X. “The current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”

On Wednesday, ABC announced that Kimmel’s show would be off the air indefinitely. The news followed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatening the network to take action or face consequences after Carr had condemned remarks Kimmel made during his monologue on Monday.

“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.”

Appearing on Benny Johnson’s podcast, Carr blasted Kimmel’s words and threatened repercussions.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr warned. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Obama criticized such reactions. 

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it,” he wrote in his X post.